We recently connected with NO–SHAME Creative Studio and have shared our conversation below.

NO–SHAME Creative Studio, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

At NO–SHAME Creative Studio, based in London, we’ve taken a bit of a different path. Emerging during the pandemic, remote work became our norm, not just a temporary fix. We’re a small team, and that helps us stay flexible and responsive. When things get busy, we bring in only selected few top-notch freelancers – it’s a straightforward, no-fuss process.

We’re all about working where you feel most comfortable. That could be in London, or sometimes, it could be from a remote corner in Japan. This flexibility keeps our ideas fresh without getting tied down to one spot.

Our approach to work hours is pretty relaxed. We have set deadlines and a shared calendar for meetings, but beyond that, everyone manages their own schedule. Whether you’re working late at night or fitting in a morning run, it’s all about finding what works best for you.

Now and then, we gather in co-working spaces for a bit of a shameless brainstorming session or we just meet up with our clients. But mostly, we thrive on our remote setup. We hope our story resonates with the creative community – we’re just a small, independent studio doing our best in the world of remote work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Our expertise lies in Graphic Design, Branding, and 2D/3D Motion, and our passion is in empowering individuals, brands, and organizations to fearlessly embrace their distinctiveness.

Our studio’s inception during the pandemic wasn’t just a business decision; it was a profound, personal journey. It gave us a moment to pause and realign our professional endeavors with our deepest values.

A key feature of NO–SHAME is our diverse cultural background. Our founders come from Latvia and Italy, each bringing their own set of ideas and cultural experiences. This blend of different perspectives really shapes the way we approach our work. It’s an essential part of our company culture, adding a variety of viewpoints and a distinctive creative style to everything we do.

Before NO–SHAME, we were part of a brand experience agency in the pharmaceutical sector. However, we eventually felt the need to break free from creative constraints and explore a path more aligned with our ethical values. Thus, NO–SHAME was born—a name symbolizing our leap into creative and ethical liberty.

A core belief at NO–SHAME is to never take ourselves too seriously. We’ve discovered that maintaining a light-hearted atmosphere not only bolsters creativity but also resonates deeply with our clients, who appreciate the infusion of playfulness and authenticity in our work.

The pandemic was a catalyst for transformation, steering us towards a more purposeful and fulfilling creative journey. Today, NO–SHAME represents a fusion of artistic freedom, ethical integrity, and a commitment to meaningful work, all enriched by the diverse cultural backgrounds of our team. We’re incredibly proud of this journey and the vibrant, authentic creative expression it has fostered.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Our driving force is both straightforward and impactful: we aim to completely reshape how people view ‘shame’ and turn it into a source of creative energy. We’re all about pushing the limits of creativity, embracing the not-so-perfect bits, and making work that’s truly centered around people. By doing this, we hope to foster a culture where being real and authentic isn’t just accepted, but celebrated.

We place a lot of value on making mistakes. Rather than seeing them as setbacks, we view them as a crucial part of being creative. They’re not just inevitable; they’re actually really important for learning and growing. Life’s full of ups and downs, and creatively speaking, those ‘downs’ often lead to new and unexpected ideas. It’s these moments, these ‘mistakes,’ that can open doors to something genuinely original and inspiring.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

The first eighteen months were really challenging. We dived into the business without a network or a portfolio. While we did possess personal portfolios, the majority of it reflected our past jobs and didn’t align with the ideal clients or projects the studio aimed for. Additionally, the task of creating our brand and website from the ground up consumed a significant amount of our time.

After six months, we were in a tight spot with very little to showcase and almost no new projects coming in. With no outside investments, our studio’s income was all we had for covering rent and daily expenses, and we saw our savings depleting rapidly in the initial 8 to 10 months. The situation looked quite bleak. #noshameinsharing

We had underestimated the challenges ahead. As creative individuals, we weren’t fully prepared for the business side of things – from handling administrative tasks and client research to navigating bureaucracy, all while managing to deliver on our projects.

As three co-founders, the strain of limited revenue began to show, leading to disagreements and a stagnation in our decision-making. The studio, once a source of pride and creativity, felt like it was on the brink of collapse. This led to one of our partners deciding to leave and pursue other opportunities, leaving the remaining two of us to handle everything.

This period was undoubtedly a near-death experience for the studio. Despite these hardships, we managed to persevere, taking on freelance projects and slowly securing new clients, which led to a much stronger second year.

While we’re still facing challenges in reaching more clients and establishing our studio’s credibility, 2024 is looking more promising, and we’re gradually expanding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://no-sha.me/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no_sha.me/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noshamecreativestudio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-sahme/
• Youtube: https://vimeo.com/nosahme
• Other: https://vimeo.com/nosahme